The Haunting
by Sweet Lu
Summary: Two detectives from Deeks' past push him and the team to the limit as he has to relive one of the darkest periods of his career and try to survive the aftermath.


**The Haunting**

Deeks had just cracked a joke that made even Sam laugh out loud. The lighthearted mood made Callen remind them that they were approaching the crime scene and that maybe they should all tone down the hilarity. Deeks had been in rare form this morning at the briefing. When he was on a roll, it was hard not to go along. He was like a big kid, his face taking on an innocent quality that just added to his charm. His pale blue eyes would dance and a grin would spread across his face when one of his good one-liners hit it's mark, and this morning it had been at Hetty's expense. Of course that was before she came into the room. If she had heard what he'd said she might have used stronger language than "cheeky bastard", which she was known to have applied to him on more than one occasion.

"Get your game faces on, guys," Callen said as he tried to rein them in. He was actually sorry to have to do it, because their last case had been trying, and it was nice to see them laughing again.

Kensi punched Deeks solidly in the arm as they approached the two LAPD detectives on the scene. He was laughing and rubbing what was soon to be a major bruise, when he heard the name of the lead detective, and his whole demeanor changed instantly. The smile on his face disappeared and his eyes darkened as his face sharpened in intensity. His body seemed to lose its flexibility and became tense and rigid. His whole personality changed, becoming somber and cold. Callen mentioned later that it was like seeing an instant eclipse of the sun.

"Detective Ricco," the man said, shaking hands with Callen and Sam. "This is Detective Bates." He took a long look at Kensi, his eyes roving over her body with a suggestive smile on his lips. Then he saw Deeks.

"Well, if it isn't Marty Deeks," Ricco said, standing to his full height with his hands on his hips. He was a massive man with a large chest and arms. His dark, short-cropped hair topped a rough face, split by a hawk-like nose. His eyes were dark and hard. "Bates, you remember Deeks, he was Torres' partner, before Deeks got him killed."

Deeks lunged at the man, and would have hit him if Sam hadn't quickly grabbed him and held him back. Ricco's laugh was guttural and cold.

"Oh, you can let him try me," he addressed Sam sarcastically. "He's not much of a fighter, are you Deeks? Not sure what to do in tough situations."

The thunderous rage visible on Deeks' face made Sam hold on to him even tighter as Callen stepped between the two men, trying to calm the confrontation down.

"Why do you think nobody at LAPD likes him?" Ricco said icily to Callen. "He's in undercover because no one will partner with him." Then he turned and walked under the yellow and black crime scene tape and Bates followed him, having never said a word.

When they were gone, Deeks seemed to deflate as Sam held him by the arms. He had a shattered look on his face and his eyes were unfocused. He was breathing hard and then he looked briefly at Sam before ripping himself from his grasp and walking quickly away with his head down. Kensi went after him, catching his arm, but he pulled loose without looking at her and disappeared around the corner.

"What the hell was that?" Sam said. He and Callen looked at each other as Kensi came back, confused by her partner's actions. They all had so many questions about what Ricco had said and Deeks' reaction that they didn't know where to start.

"Kensi, see if you can find him and get him to tell you what that was all about." Callen said. "Sam and I will handle the crime scene and the LAPD. I need to run this by Hetty and see if she knows what's going on with Deeks."

...

Deeks mind was roaring as he rushed along the street, bumping into people but not aware of it. He was trying hard to quell the anger pounding in his heart, but he couldn't. He had no idea where he was going, but it didn't really matter as long as it was far away from Ricco and Bates. The memory that linked them hovered in the back of his mind. Disturbing images flashed behind his eyes and he shuddered as he remembered one of the darkest times of his life and career. The decisions he had made that night had always lurked just out of sight in his mind's eye, but in the dead of night they would appear as an apparition and make him question himself all over again.

...

When Callen and Sam got back to the Mission, Kensi was still out looking for Deeks. Callen immediately went to Hetty and related what happened and the look on her face told him how serious the issue was.

"What's the story, Hetty?" he asked. But he knew her well enough to know that she would only tell him when she was ready.

"I need to talk to Mr. Deeks," she said slowly. He could almost see her mind exploring the situation from all angles and he knew she wanted to make sure Deeks was all right. But Callen wasn't sure if she even knew what was going on.

"Hetty, he just walked away from a case and from his partner," he told her, "I can't run this case if I have to worry about what's going on in his head and if he's going to disappear in the middle of it like he did today. He lost it out there, Hetty, and I need to know why."

"I know you do Mr. Callen, and so do I," she said calmly. "Leave Mr. Deeks to me."

...

Kensi's mind swirled with questions, but first she needed to find him and make sure he was okay. The things that Ricco had said reverberated through her mind, especially the one about getting his partner killed. They all had wondered why he wasn't well liked by the officers at LAPD, but Ricco's assertion was shocking and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. She had been his partner for over a year, and she had never seen him run in any situation or put her in danger by his actions. He had been fearless in his defense of her in life threatening situations, so she was having trouble reconciling what Ricco had said with what she knew about Deeks.

None of them had ever seen him as angry as he had been today. He didn't even seem like the same person. But why hadn't he said anything? Why had he just left them standing there without explanation? She shook her head sadly as she ran up the stairs to his apartment.

"Deeks? Are you here?" She tried to see inside, but the curtains were drawn, which made her fairly certain that he was in there.

"Go away, Kensi." His voice sounded hollow.

"Deeks, just let me in, please," she said softly. "You know I won't leave until you do."

"I don't want to talk about it," he said quietly, and she could tell he was just on the other side of the door.

"I can pick the lock you know."

"I know," he said. "I thought I gave you a key." He sounded curious.

"You did, but I like to pick locks." A hint of a smile colored the words.

"You're not going away, are you?"

"No, I'm not, Deeks. Please. You don't have to talk if you don't want to. I just need to see you."

She heard the lock release and his footsteps moving away. She opened the door slowly and saw him throw himself down on the sofa, draping his arm across his eyes like he couldn't bear to look at her. She went and sat down next to him, placing her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart racing. He moved his arm up slightly and looked at her. He had a haunted look in his eyes and she brought her hand up and touched his cheek, feeling the comforting stubble of his beard against her hand. She gently put her thumb to his lips and he kissed it softly. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh and then he reached for her, pulling her down onto his chest, and she could feel him shiver as he held her. She moved to stretch out next to him, wrapping her arms around him and drawing him close. They held each other until she felt his body relax and then she looked up at him and saw him watching her. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and she could feel his warm breath in her hair. The look of sorrow on his face was heartbreaking and she knew she had to convince him to talk to her.

"I'm a good listener, you know," she said softly, searching his eyes for a positive response.

"No you're not," he said with a fleeting smile. "You always say I talk too much, and now you want me talk about something I've tried to forget all these years, like it's an everyday conversation?"

"You need to talk to someone," she said. She could feel his body tensing up and becoming tightly wound like a spring.

"Why, didn't Ricco's story give you enough details?" He sat up and pushed her roughly away from him. He stood up and walked to the windows, staring out, his hands stuffed into the back pockets of his jeans.

"Why did you leave without saying anything?" she asked.

"I didn't exactly hear you guys say anything to Ricco," his voice low and angry.

"Deeks, we're on your side." She was starting to get exasperated with him.

"Did you believe him?" His voice was cold and distant and she saw his hand tremble as he dragged his fingers through his hair.

"Deeks..." She hesitated before answering and he turned to look at her and said, "Get out!"

"No!" Anger flashed in her eyes.

He strode to the door, yanking it open.

"Leave, Kensi, right now," he said raising his voice as he spoke.

She walked up to him and slammed the door shut. He grabbed her arm and reached again for the doorknob. She wrenched her arm free and hit him in the jaw with her fist, bloodying his lip. Shock and then fury filled his eyes, and then she saw him shut off completely. His face went stone cold as he opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind him.

...

"Hey, Kens, how's he doing?" Sam asked as she reached her desk. When she didn't answer he looked at Callen and they both waited until she looked up.

"What happened, Kensi?" Callen asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"At first he wouldn't let me into his apartment," she began calmly, "and then he wouldn't talk to me about what happened." She stopped to gather herself and they could tell how upset she was.

"He got angry..." She stopped and looked down at her hand.

"Did he hurt you?" Sam asked rising to his feet with concern on his face. He and Callen had talked about how angry Deeks had been when he left, but they didn't think he would take it out on Kensi.

"No," she said quietly. "I hit him in the mouth when he asked me to leave." She sat back in her chair and looked away as angry tears stung her eyes.

"With your fist?" Callen's eyebrows shot upwards as he stared at her.

"Why would you do that, Kensi?" Sam asked with a shocked look on his face.

"He asked me if I believed what Ricco had said and when I hesitated, he told me to get out," she explained, but some of her anger remained. "It made me mad that he wouldn't let me finish. He opened the door and told me to leave and..."

"So you hit him?" Callen interrupted to ask. "Kensi, what were you thinking?"

"I don't know," she said shaking her head. "Callen, he thinks we believe Ricco."

"Do you believe Ricco?" Hetty asked as she stepped into their area and looked at each one in turn.

"Should we believe him, Hetty?" Callen stood and challenged her.

"I asked you first, Mr. Callen," she said, and he knew she wasn't going to make it easy on them.

She wanted to see just how far their loyalty to Deeks would go. She knew they had questions about the allegations Ricco had made, but she also knew that sometimes you had to believe in a team member in spite of the doubts you had.

"We've all been in enough tough situations that could have gotten one partner or the other killed," Sam said, "so what he said about Deeks getting his partner killed, is just his opinion. We've all been in firefights with Deeks, and he's always had our backs."

"I know some of the cops don't like Deeks," Callen said solemnly, "but if LAPD believed Deeks wasn't good in a fight or wasn't sure what to do in a tough situation, then I'm pretty sure he wouldn't still be a cop, let alone an undercover cop."

"Ms. Blye, why did you hesitate when Mr. Deeks asked if you believed Ricco?" Hetty asked.

"Because he shouldn't have asked me that," Kensi said with a hint of anger, "He should have known I was on his side, I'm his partner."

They all became quiet as they thought about what had happened, and then Sam said, "He's the one that doesn't believe in us, Hetty."

...

Deeks was sitting in the back corner of his favorite bar getting quietly drunk. He'd switched to Jameson's after downing four beers, and the whiskey was doing its job. The bartender, Foley, a friend, started to get concerned since Deeks rarely got drunk, and decided to find out what was going on. But when he went over to ask how he was doing, he was surprised at Deeks' behavior; he was mean and shoved him away.

"Leave me alone, Foley." Deeks voice was husky and his words hard to understand but Foley got the message.

Foley walked back behind the bar, more concerned than ever because Deeks had always been really funny when he was drunk, not belligerent as he was tonight. He looked through his address book to see if there was someone he could call and found a woman's name. He thought he remembered Marty bringing her in one time, but just as he was deciding whether to call or not, two big guys in suits walked in. He asked what he could get them, but they flashed detective badges and headed towards Deeks.

"Briggs told us you hang out here," the bartender heard the biggest one say. Deeks had his head down and hadn't noticed them come in. Foley was watching as Deeks looked up at the man. He saw the expression on his face change from bleary-eyed to dark rage in seconds and then Deeks launched himself at the man. The detective easily sidestepped him and viciously punched Deeks in the stomach and he collapsed to his hands and knees, his forehead resting on the floor. The smaller detective kicked him in the ribs before grabbing him by the hair with both hands and jerking him up and backwards onto his knees.

"Hey, stop it, he's drunk," Foley yelled. "He's not bothering anybody."

The big detective pointed at him and said, "Stay out of this or I'll shut you down in a heartbeat."

The bartender backed off, but continued to watch as the detective turned his attention back to Deeks, who was barely conscious and being held up by the other guy. He could see the big guy say something to him but he was speaking too low and Foley couldn't hear from where he stood. Then the big detective stood over Deeks and slugged him in the face. Then he said something else to him and then backhanded him across the cheek and jaw again and again. Blood covered Deeks' face and he cried out as the big detective slammed his knee up into his stomach before shoving him to the floor. The other guy kicked him savagely in the ribs and stomach a couple of times before they left him lying bloody and unconscious on the floor.

"Remember what I said," the big guy said to the bartender as he left. "You call the cops, and I'll know about it and you'll be looking for a new line of work."

Foley was shaking as he ran to Deeks' side. He tried to get him up, but he couldn't move him. He had never seen anyone beaten like that and he began to panic. He was afraid to call the cops, so he called the girl listed in his address book.

When she said hello he immediately began talking, afraid that she might hang up on him.

"Is this Fern? I'm calling about Marty Deeks. He needs your help. Two guys just beat him up real bad and he's passed out on the floor of my bar. He's bleeding and I can't get him up." When he finally took a breath, she asked him the name of his bar and told him they would be right there and hung up. He was surprised at how calm she was.

He put up the closed sign and went and sat down next to Deeks. He sure hoped Fern would hurry cause Marty didn't look good at all.

...

Kensi might have sounded calm to the bartender, but she was practically shouting when she relayed the message to Sam and Callen. When the team arrived, Sam jumped out of the car and began pounding on the door of the bar while Callen checked with Eric on the ambulance. When Foley opened the door, Kensi was the first one inside, rushing to where Deeks lay bleeding on the floor.

"Deeks, can you hear me?" she said kneeling down next to him. Sam rolled him onto his back and then lifted him in his arms, feeling for broken ribs. Deeks moaned and flinched as Sam felt for injuries. He opened his eyes and saw Kensi and a loopy grin spread across his face.

"You gonna hit me again, Kens?" he mumbled through smiling bloody lips. Then he slowly closed his eyes and slumped unconscious in Sam's arms.

"Who did this?" Kensi angrily asked the bartender.

As they waited for the ambulance they listened as the bartender told them what had happened.

"He was so drunk, he didn't have a chance against those guys, maybe not even if he was sober," Foley told them. "I feel bad I didn't help, but I can't lose my bar."

"You sure they were detectives?" Callen asked and the bartender nodded. When he gave them a physical description, they knew it had been Ricco and Bates.

"You couldn't hear what he said to Deeks?" Kensi asked.

"I couldn't hear him, but I know what he said," Foley said.

They all turned their attention to the small bartender as Kensi smiled at him. "You can read lips," she said to him. "Yeah, my sister's deaf. She taught me." And Foley smiled at Kensi.

"The big guy told Marty, 'If you tell your new friends about me, I'll tell IA that Torres was a dirty cop.' then he hit him," Foley said and shivered as he said it. "Then he said something about a girl but I couldn't see his face real well when he said it and then he hit him again and again." Foley was shaking badly as he finished and Callen brought him a whiskey to help calm him down.

Then the paramedics arrived and as they loaded Deeks into the ambulance, the three agents looked at each other in angry silence as they processed what the bartender had told them.

"Ricco is definitely holding something over Deeks," Callen said as they headed for the car.

"And who is this girl?" Kensi was very interested in the answer to that question.

They knew they wouldn't get any answers until Deeks woke up.

...

Hetty was waiting for them at the hospital and she didn't look particularly happy.

"I'm having Nell do a thorough background check on both Ricco and Bates," she told them as they walked into the emergency room. "These two guys are too arrogant for my liking. Beating up a cop in a public place means they fear no retribution. But now they've made a big mistake, because they have pissed me off."

The team exchanged knowing looks with each other. Callen almost felt sorry for the two men, because he knew Hetty well, and he knew what she was capable of doing to someone who messed with one of her agents. Deeks might be a cop, but he was her cop, and she was very fond of him.

After two hours of waiting, an ER doctor finally came out to speak with them.

"He's beat up pretty bad. His ribs are badly bruised, but none are broken. No skull fracture either, but he does have a concussion. He's going to be all right, but I'd like to keep him overnight," the young doctor said. "He'll have a bad headache when he wakes up, and not just from the beating. His blood alcohol level was off the chart. He's still sleeping it off, but you can see him when we get him into a room."

...

Deeks was snoring heavily when they finally were able to see him. His face was covered in bruises and cuts, and he had six stitches above his left eye, which was badly swollen. He looked like he would be under for a while so Hetty suggested one of them stay with him until he woke up, but she wanted the others back at OSP to go over any intel Nell had been able to discover. She didn't want to waste any time bringing these guys down.

"I'll stay," Kensi said grabbing the nearest chair.

"I don't think so." Sam crossed his arms and stood in front of her. "The last time you were suppose to talk to him, you ended up hitting him in the mouth instead. I'll stay this time."

"Sam, I'm not going hit him again," she said standing her ground.

"Yeah, well maybe he won't know that when he wakes up and sees you," Callen said, taking Sam's side.

The argument made Hetty smile. She liked the idea that her two senior agents were being protective of the young cop. And right now, that's exactly what Deeks needed.

Eventually Kensi gave in and Sam took over the chair as the others went back to the OSP Center. As he looked at Deeks battered face he could feel his anger building. Those guys are cops, and yet they did this to one of their own. Sam didn't understand that. He had been through a lot with Deeks, and they had not always gotten along, but even when they hadn't, he would have Deeks' back, no matter what. And it was the way he felt now. No matter what this latest difficulty from Deeks' past, Sam knew he wouldn't turn on him. He was a member of his team and that was all Sam needed to know.

It bothered him that Deeks had not believed they were all on his side, though. But he reminded himself of Deeks' rough childhood, and the rejection he had suffered from his own father, so it wasn't too surprising that he was always expecting to be rejected again by people close to him. Deeks didn't trust people easily or quickly, but Sam thought that by now they would have proven to him that they would stand by him no matter what. Again he wondered what Ricco was holding over him, and that's what he intended to find out when Deeks woke up.

"Hi Sam," Deeks voice was weak as he tried to sit up, hissing though his teeth as the pain in his ribs reminded him of why he was there.

"Hey Deeks. How's the head?" Sam said, giving Deeks a big smile that told the cop that Sam and the others knew he had been plastered when he'd had the crap beat out of him.

"It's pounding like a shitload of hammers," Deeks said and closed his eyes tightly from the bright lights in the room. Sam understood and shut off most of the lights.

Deeks wasn't sure what they thought of him after Ricco's comments this morning, so he was a little wary of Sam. He really had no idea what to say, so he didn't say anything. When he opened his eyes Sam was standing right next to him, concern evident on his face.

"When are you gonna learn to trust us you numbskull?" Sam asked with a small smile on his face. "If you had confided in us instead of going off to get drunk by yourself, you wouldn't be here right now. Don't you know we'll have your back no matter what? If you weren't so beat up already, I'd knock some sense into that thick head of yours." By the end of his little dressing down speech, Sam's voice had risen and there was no smile on his face.

"Kensi already tried that, and it didn't work." Deeks offered a small grin, but it was lost on Sam.

"Yeah, well I'm not Kensi." Sam glared at him and Deeks was glad it had been Kensi that had punched him instead of Sam, although Ricco's fist did a pretty fair job.

"We know it was Ricco and Bates who did this," Sam said earnestly, " but what we need to know is why. Ready to share, Deeks?"

Deeks dropped his head to his chest and sighed deeply as he tried to decide what to say.

"I'm not proud of what I'm going to tell you, Sam," he started. "But at the time I didn't feel I had a choice."

Deeks laid his head back on the pillow and looked at the ceiling and Sam could see the turmoil on his face as he began his story.

"I was a second year detective and Roberto Torres was my partner. He wasn't a big guy, physically, but he was one of the toughest cops I've ever known. He was also one of the kindest. He taught me everything I needed to know to survive on the job that first year. But, he also became my friend. He took me into his family..."

Deeks paused as emotion choked his voice. He took a deep breath, and continued quietly.

"He took me into his family, and it was a big one. The first time he had me come over was for the Fourth of July. I was overwhelmed by the number of people that were there, and they were all relatives. I wasn't used to being around a lot of family and I was lost, until his daughter Rosa took my hand and began to introduce me to every single one of her relatives. By the end of the night I was juggling so many Hispanic names and relationships my head was spinning." Deeks laughed fondly at the warm memory.

"Rosa was his oldest. She was eighteen and had just graduated from high school when I met her. She had long, curly brown hair and deep brown eyes. She was a real sweetheart, Sam. The next day I told Berto that he had a beautiful daughter, and asked him what her plans were for the future. He choked up and when I asked what was wrong he took me outside and told me that Rosa had mental problems. She'd been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. I was stunned, Sam. I had always noticed a sadness about Berto, and then I knew why." Deeks paused as the memories pulled him back in time.

"Tony Ricco was a good friend of Berto's at the time, and when Gary Bates became his partner, he became a friend as well. They spent a lot of time together, and I usually wasn't invited to their get togethers. I began to suspect something dirty was going on when we busted some drug dealers and Ricco and Bates showed up after we arrested them. Berto tried to get rid of me, but I was curious, so I watched the three of them and I saw them take some of the payoff money." Deeks stopped again and he shook his head at the memory.

"Berto saw me. He didn't let on to the others, but he grabbed me and made me get in the car and started talking to me. I didn't want to turn them in to Internal Affairs, but Berto knew I might. I was so angry with him, I actually hit him." Deeks stopped talking and Sam could tell he was still upset after all these years.

"He said he did it because of Rosa. The costs for psychiatric care and treatment were more than his salary and medical benefits could cover. He told me without the specialists she was seeing, Rosa could end up on the streets. He pleaded with me to overlook what they were doing Sam. Not just this time, but in the future. If I had turned him in, he would have lost his job and medical benefits, and I couldn't have lived with that, Sam, so I told him I would let it go." Deeks looked at Sam and he could see how difficult the decision had been.

"I never took any money, Sam, ever." Deeks looked at Sam to see if he believed him. If he didn't, the rest didn't matter.

"I believe you, Deeks," Sam reassured him. "Is that what Ricco's holding over you, Torres being a dirty cop?"

"That and the fact that it was my fault Berto was killed," Deeks whispered and then he put his head back and stared silently at the ceiling.

"The night it happened, we were working a drug case when he got a call that Rosa had disappeared," he finally continued. "His wife told him she had been hysterical and shouting about someone coming to get her. It was a bad episode and Berto asked me to help him find her. There was a homeless shelter she had gone to in the past, so we went there. He had called Ricco and Bates, too, and they agreed to meet us out back in the delivery area."

Deeks stopped and Sam could see the effort it was taking for him to relive this painful part of his past. His hands started shaking and he kept rubbing his head where the stitches were. Sam called a nurse for more pain medication. When she left, Sam gripped his shoulder and asked if he wanted to rest for a while, but he shook his head.

"We split up and began checking all the buildings looking for her. When I didn't find her I headed back, and when I came around the corner, I saw Berto had Ricco backed up against a truck and was punching him. I started running towards them and I saw Bates pull a back up gun, so I jumped him. We struggled and when he knocked me down, the gun went off." There were tears in his eyes as he spoke.

"The bullet hit Berto in the back. When I got to him he made me promise to find Rosa and asked me to look out for her. He died in my arms." Tears fell silently from his eyes. Then he looked at Sam and his face clouded with anger.

"They knocked me out, Sam," Deeks said in a low voice. "And when I came to, the place was crawling with cops. Ricco had already given them a statement that we had caught up with the drug dealers but that I had panicked and started a fight. He told them that as I fought with one of the drug dealers his gun had gone off and killed Torres." Deeks face was a mask of conflicting emotions.

"Ricco and Bates told me if I ever told the truth about their involvement, they would tell IA that Torres was on the take from the dealers." Deeks jaw clenched tightly as he continued. "Berto's family would have lost his death benefits, Sam, so I went along."

"Either way, it was my fault Berto was dead, and I've had to live with that," Deeks said quietly. "Internal Affairs finally cleared me, but I lost a lot of friends and Ricco was right, no one wanted to partner with me, so I started doing undercover work, and I liked it. And it got me away from Ricco and Bates.

"I wouldn't have done anything differently than you did, Deeks," Sam told him. "You were protecting your partner. It was an accident."

"I always go over it in my mind, Sam," he said softly, "My only other choice was to shoot Bates. It never entered my mind back then, to shoot a fellow cop, but now I wish I had." Sam saw a hard look in his eyes that surprised him.

"What happened to Rosa," Sam asked.

"I found her the next day, and brought her home," he said softly. "After what happened, Berto's wife didn't want to see me, but I heard Rosa went into a licensed facility paid for by the department."

Sam sat with him until he went to sleep. He knew how heavy guilt was to carry, since he carried some of his own. It came with the territory. But, Sam felt there was something Deeks wasn't telling him. Something else was going on that had caused the rage they had all seen on Deeks' face that morning.

...

As he was leaving Deeks' room to head down to the cafeteria for a late dinner, Callen and Kensi arrived. Sam told them he was asleep and suggested they talk over coffee. It took some time to relate the whole story, but when he was finished, they all felt sympathy for Deeks as a young detective and the tough decision he had been forced to make.

"Did Deeks ever find out why Torres was fighting with Ricco?" Callen asked Sam. "Because that's what's missing here."

"Let's go ask him," Sam said as he rose with determination to find out what Deeks was holding back.

"Did he say anything about me hitting him, Sam?" Kensi asked as they walked.

Sam smiled at her and then wrapped her in a hug. "I told him he was lucky it was you punching him instead of me." Sam laughed.

"I hit him pretty solid," she said as her competitive nature kicked in.

"We're suppose to be helping him, not discussing who would do a better job of beating him up," Callen scolded them with a short laugh.

"Ricco and Bates did a pretty good job without us," Sam said sharply.

Callen pushed open the door to Deeks' room and found it empty. His clothes were gone and not even the nurses had seen him leave.

"I knew there was more to this," Sam said as his anger and concerned boiled to the surface. "Why is he still trying to do this alone?"

"We've got to find him." Kensi had a feeling of dread in her stomach that almost made her ill. She wanted to kick herself for her actions earlier in the day. Why had she reacted so violently when he told her to leave. Why hadn't she just calmed down and shown him how much she cared for him and that she would always be on his side no matter what he had done.

"I'll call Eric and see if he can track him." Callen knew they had to get to him before Ricco and Bates did, because he was pretty sure they weren't done with him yet. Eric let them know immediately that Deeks had disabled his phone. Then they knew he didn't want them involved, and they were all furious with him.

"I'm gonna kill him," Sam fumed. "Doesn't he understand the concept of team yet?"

"He hasn't had many good role models up until he met us," Callen said trying to calm everyone down. "We'll just have to treat this like any other case and start following leads." So they headed back to Ops.

...

Deeks felt like his head was splitting in two, the pain was so bad. He was finding it hard to see as he drove away from his apartment, and his ribs ached badly so he kept his breathing shallow. He had to work through it because he knew he had to get to Rosa's house and make sure she was all right, and be there in case Ricco and Bates showed up.

The sun wasn't up yet when he parked his car outside her home. She had been living in her parents' old house ever since her mother died a few months ago. He eased himself out of the seat, and almost tumbled into the street as a wave of pain hit him as he stood up next to the car. His head was spinning and it took him a while before he felt he could make it across the street without falling down. When he climbed the few steps up to the porch without collapsing, he sat down just outside the front door, with his gun in his lap.

What he didn't notice was the black SUV parked across the street.

"He looks like a school kid could knock him over," Sam grumbled.

"Well, he's just lucky he's got us backing him up, even though he doesn't know it," Callen noted as he checked out Deeks with his telephoto lens.

Kensi remained silent, wondering why they just couldn't walk up to the house and let him know they were there. She thought they were too far away to be of immediate assistance if something did happen, and that was tying her stomach up in knots.

Hetty was the one who pointed them here after Sam had told her Deeks' story. They all knew there must be a deep connection between Rosa and Deeks, but Hetty and especially Sam felt she was the key to a lot of the unanswered questions in this case.

They had been watching for over two hours when Callen said, "I've got movement." All three tensed as the door to the bungalow opened and they saw Rosa for the first time. She was a small, delicate young woman that seemed slightly nervous, looking up and down the street before stepping out onto the porch. Her dark, curly hair was tied back at the neck and she wore a bright yellow apron over grey sweats. A young boy stood slightly behind her, clinging to her leg. She smiled down at him briefly as Deeks tried to get to his feet. She reached to help him up and the boy moved to take Deeks' hand, and between them they pulled him to his feet.

Kensi held her breath as she saw Rosa reach her hand up and lightly touch the bruises on Deeks' face. He shook his head and smiled at her, and Kensi knew he was telling her that he was fine. The boy continued to hold onto Deeks' hand as the three figures turned and stood in the low morning sun at the top of the stairs. Deeks put his arm around Rosa's shoulders as he calmly talked to her, and Kensi felt a tinge of jealousy prick her thoughts.

The racing car caught them all off guard as it sped past the SUV. They saw Deeks react as soon as he spotted it and the weapon pointing out of the window. He turned in an instant, shielding Rosa and the boy as he shoved them through the open doorway and onto the floor inside. The staccato of automatic weapons' fire shattered the peaceful morning as bullets splintered the front of the bungalow. The three agents bolted from the car, Callen firing as he ran, with Sam mirroring his moves. The driver was hit and the car swerved into a tree. The shooter leaped from the car, but before he could return fire, Sam killed him with two bullets to the chest.

Kensi had immediately made a run for the house, checking for any other shooters as she moved. Fear gripped her heart as she topped the stairs and looked down on the three people lying on the floor. The young boy was crying loudly and Rosa was trying to quiet him, as Deeks lay face down on top of them, blood soaking his shirt and pooling beneath him. She was beside him at once, feeling for a pulse, relief flooding through her as she felt his strong heartbeat against her fingers. Then she heard him groan deeply as he moved to roll over on his back. He gasped with the effort and then looked at her, his eyes worried and wild.

"Rosa?" he asked "Is she okay?"

"I'm okay Marty," Rosa cried, the sound mingling with her son's muted whimpers. Then she looked at Kensi and burst into a frightening wail, and pulled her legs free from underneath Deeks' body and bolted for the door. Deeks reached for her, but searing pain caused him to fall back. Sam caught her just outside the door, and she screamed.

"Rosa, he's a friend," Deeks yelled to her. Finally the boy went to her and took her hand and started to rub her back and she started to calm down, her crying still coming in great sobs, her eyes wild with fear. Kensi took her other hand as her son led her to a chair by a side window. She pulled her knees to her chest and stared blankly out the window. Kensi left her with her son and hurried back to Deeks, who was still lying on floor as Sam tried to stop the bleeding from the gunshot wound in his side.

"You got lucky Deeks," Sam said, his voice low with anger. "If you don't learn to ask for help, one of these days your luck is gonna run out." Then he made Deeks moan in pain as he put more pressure on the wound, and Kensi glared at him.

"It's my mess Sam," Deeks gasped, his voice getting weaker as he spoke. "I didn't want anybody to die because of me."

"Quit blaming yourself, Deeks," Callen said as he knelt down next to him. "Ricco's the one to blame here, not you. The driver of the car said he was the one who told them to shoot the house up and anybody in it."

"Ricco?" they heard Rosa say from the chair by the window. "Is he coming here? Is that why you came here Marty, to stop him from hurting me again?" She stood and walked unsteadily to stand looking down at Deeks. "Is that who beat you?" she asked as she sat down on the floor next to him.

"Yeah, Rosa, but I'm okay." he said softly.

Rosa looked at each of Deeks' friends and then asked, "Did he tell you what I told him three months ago, when I moved in here?" When she saw them shake their heads, she seemed to grow stronger. Deeks raised himself up and Sam and Callen helped him lean against the sofa, as he reached for her hand.

"Rosa, you don't have to say anything," Deeks gave her a pleading look. "It's too hard on you to go over it again."

"No Marty, my father is dead because I ran from the truth," Rosa said, her voice gaining strength as she spoke. "Now, you almost die trying to protect me from that animal, Ricco. It's time I did say something, before he kills us all."

She saw the questions on their faces and she steeled herself to go on, but first telling her son to go to his room and listen to his iPod. When he was gone, she stroked Deeks' arm, and smiled at him.

"It's okay, Marty, these are your friends," she smiled fleetingly and Deeks held her hands in his as she told her story.

"A couple of days before my dad was killed, Ricco and Bates came over for a barbecue," she said quietly. "They always came over on a weekend, but that night was different. My mom had taken my brothers to a movie, but I wanted to stay home." she took a deep breath, but continued. "All three of them drank a lot that night and argued. I saw my dad shove Ricco at one point and the look on his face was ugly. I heard them talking about you Marty, but I couldn't hear any details. That's when my dad got really mad and threw them out. My dad thought the world of you, Marty," she said squeezing Deeks' hand. His face became deadly serious.

"After they left, my dad was hyper and told me he was going out, so I was alone." Silent tears streaked down her face as she spoke. "I was cleaning up the stuff from the barbecue when I turned around and saw Ricco standing in the yard. He looked so angry, and he started walking towards me fast, and I backed away and tried to run but he caught me and slammed my head on the ground..." She was crying and Deeks held her hands tightly in his own, his face full of anguish for what she had gone through.

"Then he raped me," she whispered. "I was eighteen." No one said a word. Kensi came and sat beside her and put her arm around her shoulders.

"I didn't tell anyone," she said, "but I had a breakdown two days later and ran away. My dad and Marty came looking for me at the shelter, but I was hiding. Then I heard my dad calling my name and when I saw him I started crying and I told him what Ricco had done to me. I'd never seen a look like that on his face before and it scared me. Then Ricco and Bates drove up and as soon as I saw them I ran." She wiped her eyes and got up and went into her son's bedroom and closed the door.

"That's why Berto was fighting with Ricco that night," Deeks said bitterly. "When she told me three months ago what he had done, I wanted to turn him in, but she's not strong enough to testify..." He paused and dropped his head before he told them, "Her son, Roberto, is Ricco's child from that night. She wouldn't give him up because she said it wasn't his fault and because he had her blood and the blood of her father." They were all stunned.

"She told me Ricco threatened to kill the boy if she ever said anything," Deeks said, his voice slowly fading. "He called him a bastard." Now they all understood the rage they had seen on Deeks' face when he saw Ricco at the crime scene.

"We all know who the real bastard is," Hetty said as she stood in the doorway.

The three agents turned at the sound of her voice.

"How much did you hear, Hetty?" Callen asked.

"Enough to know we're dealing with a dangerous sociopath who needs to be stopped," she replied.

"We're all up for that." Sam looked menacing as he stood to his full height.

"I suggest you see where that ambulance is, Mr. Callen," Hetty said softly, pointing towards the floor behind them, "or were you just going to let him bleed to death?"

They all looked back at Deeks, who was now lying unconscious with his head resting on the sofa, and they shook themselves into action.

...

"Kensi, I want you to take Rosa and her son to one of our safe houses," Hetty instructed, "I'll send a protective detail to back you up. Mr. Callen, Mr. Hannah, you're with me. We have some planning to do."

"Who's going to watch out for Deeks?" Kensi asked.

"Yeah, Hetty," Sam said, "he hasn't exactly been staying put lately."

"I'll send Nell and a protection detail to the hospital," Hetty assured them.

"Tell Nell to have him sedated," Callen laughed, "that way we'll know he'll be there when this is over."

After the ambulance had left and Kensi had convinced Rosa to go to their safe house, Hetty shared with her two senior agents what she had found out about Ricco and Bates.

"I have been in discussions with LAPD's Internal Affairs department," she began, "They have an active investigation going on into the dealings of Mr. Ricco and his partner. And, apparently Rosa isn't the only woman to say that Ricco raped them. He's a real piece of work."

"Do you think Deeks knew about the investigation?" Callen asked.

"He not only knew about it, Mr. Callen," she informed them with a small smile forming on her face, "but he was an active participant in it."

The two senior agents looked at each other in surprise, because that was one part of the story Deeks failed to share with them.

"He thinks like you Hetty." Callen looked at the smiling Operations Manager as he shook his head.

"His one stipulation for helping them, was that Rosa Torres not lose her father's medical benefits or pension, and they agreed," she told them. Sam thought she looked quite proud of her cop.

"Maybe he will make a good Federal agent after all." Sam said, something he never thought he would say.

Callen paused to answer his phone. "Hey Kens, what's up?" he asked. He sat up quickly with an alarmed look on his face. "Kensi's being followed." He told the others.

"We'll alert the protective detail and get there as soon as we can," Callen instructed her. "Kens, how many men in the car tailing you?" Callen was suddenly wary.

"One," she answered.

"They were watching, G," Sam said as he checked outside.

Hetty was immediately on the phone with IA. She knew they had a tail on Ricco and Bates as of today and she needed to know where they were. When she finished talking to her contact, they could tell she was furious.

"Ricco and Bates split up and they lost them both." She sounded disgusted.

"Now the question is, which one is following Kensi?" Callen wondered.

"And where's the other one?" Sam was beginning to get a sick feeling in his stomach. "If they were watching, G, they know Deeks is on his way to the hospital."

They bolted for the door as Hetty called Nell.

Callen updated Kensi and she insisted she could handle the situation on her end and begged them to get to the hospital to protect Deeks.

"Callen, he's unconscious, he can't protect himself," she shouted in his ear. He finally agreed, and called Eric to find out where Kensi's tactical squad was. Once they got into place, Kensi could lead whoever was following her, straight into a trap. He looked at the determined face of his partner as they sped through the streets.

...

Kensi was taking a circuitous route to the safe house, seeing if she could drop the tail, but the guy was good. As soon as she received the call that the tactical squad was set up at the safe house, she drove straight there. She had Rosa and Roberto get on the floor of the backseat as she placed her gun on the seat next to her. As Kensi approached the house, she raised the garage door and drove inside at high speed. She was immediately out of the car and firing as the tactical squad joined in the assault on the fast approaching vehicle. The man tailing her drove straight at her and she leaped out of the way as he crashed into the back of Kensi's SUV, pushing it through the rear of the garage. The tactical squad surrounded the vehicle, throwing open the doors and finding Gary Bates slumped behind the airbag, dead of multiple gunshot wounds.

"Rosa!" Kensi yelled as she tore open the rear door of her car. She was met with a scared look from Rosa and a smiling Roberto. "That was just like the bumper cars at the boardwalk," he said happily. Kensi laughed and helped them out of the car and into the house through the garage entrance. She didn't want Roberto to see the dead body that made it anything but a day at the boardwalk.

...

As the paramedics pushed the gurney carrying their unconscious patient towards the entrance to the ER a large detective flashed his badge and told them he was his protective detail. The cop stayed close by as the patient was evaluated quickly and sent up to surgery. The detective followed the intern pushing the gurney into the elevator.

Just as the doors to the elevator were closing, Nell and the two-man protective squad arrived and asked about Marty Deeks. A nurse pointed to the elevator.

"He's on his way up to surgery. Third floor," the busy nurse told her as she rushed off.

Nell sent the protective squad up as she paused to call Eric. She was watching the numbers change above the door of the elevator carrying Deeks, and was surprised to see it go past the third floor and stop on the fifth. She felt a sudden coldness in the pit of her stomach.

"Eric, something's wrong," she told him, her voice shaky and high. "Call Callen and Sam and tell them fifth floor. Tact squad is on the third." Then she rushed into the next elevator. She put her hand into her purse and gripped the gun she had put there on an impulse as she left Ops. She had gone through weapons training, but had never fired a gun in the field before, and she could feel sweat break out in the palm of her hand.

...

Ricco pressed the barrel of his gun into the back of the intern and whispered in his ear. As they got off on the fifth floor he told him to find an empty room. When they were inside and the door was closed, Ricco hit the young doctor twice in the head and dragged him into a corner. Then he turned his attention to Deeks.

"You've been working with IA, you stinking pile of shit," Ricco spoke harshly into Deeks' ear as he placed his hand over the detective's mouth and forced his head down against the gurney.

Deeks woke to icy fear as he felt the cold muzzle of Ricco's gun pressed against his cheek.

"Did you think I wasn't gonna find out?" Ricco's menacing voice rasped as his face hovered just above Deeks' head. "I told you what would happen if you ever talked to them, didn't I Deeks? I should have killed you the same night Torres died."

Deeks struggled as Ricco pressed his arm down hard on Deeks' chest, putting his full weight into pushing the air slowly from his lungs. Deeks vision began to fill with red fog, as he fought to stay conscious.

"Rosa's dead now, and that little bastard of hers, too." Ricco's laugh was guttural as his words cut through the cloud in Deeks' mind. "I sent Bates to kill her, Deeks. And now I'm gonna kill you."

Deeks punched Ricco hard in the ribs with both fists, as his fear was replaced by raw rage. Ricco eyes filled with surprise as Deeks head butted him, knocking him back off his chest. As Deeks tried to hit him again, Ricco slammed his fist into the wound in Deeks' side. He screamed and collapsed back onto the gurney, his breath coming in gasps of pain.

As Ricco brought his gun up he heard a shrill voice behind him.

"Stop! Federal Agent!" Nell shouted, leveling her gun at Ricco as she had been taught to do.

Ricco whirled and fired. Nell fell back against the wall and slumped to the floor, the gun still in her hand. Deeks cried out as he pushed himself up off the gurney and tackled Ricco to the floor. They wrestled for the gun, but Ricco held onto it, hitting Deeks across the cheek and knocking him back onto Nell. As Ricco rose to his feet, his face was a mask of savage anger. Deeks grabbed Nell's gun and fired, hitting Ricco in the throat. As he fell back against the gurney clutching at his bloody throat, Sam and Callen rushed through the door firing as they came. Ricco looked surprised as the bullets ripped through his chest sending his body flying backwards onto the floor.

"Deeks!" Callen yelled as he turned to look down. Then his eyes widened in horror as he saw Nell lying motionless next to Deeks on the floor. Deeks shakily sought a pulse as Sam yelled for doctors.

"She's still alive, G," he said weakly, as he leaned back against the wall. "What was she doing with a gun?" he asked Callen. He looked ashen and Callen could see fresh blood coming from the wound in his side. "She saved my life," Deeks whispered as his eyes slowly closed.

Doctors and nurses surrounded them, as gurneys were rushed into the room. Callen and Sam looked at each other in stunned silence as Deeks was rushed to surgery and doctors fought to stabilize Nell. She looked like a small child as the doctors worked to stop the bleeding from the wound in her chest, then they rushed her from the room, leaving Sam and Callen to decide which one was going to tell Hetty what her intelligence analyst had just done.

...

Deeks jerked awake, his eyes wild as he fought to sit up. Kensi jumped up from the chair by his bed and put her hands on his chest.

"Deeks! Everything's okay," she said as she tried to calm him down.

"What about Nell and Rosa?" he asked as he let her push him back down on his pillow. He felt exhausted, but his mind swirled with memories of Ricco and Rosa, and the image of Nell lying pale and cold on the floor next to him.

"Rosa and Roberto are fine," Kensi assured him. "And Bates is dead, too."

"And Nell?" his voice quavered as he waited for her answer.

"She's going to be all right, Deeks." Kensi watched him relax as the worry drained from his face.

"What was she thinking, Kens?" Remembering how astonished he was when he saw her pointing a gun at Ricco.

"She was thinking like a Federal Agent, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said as she came in the room. "Just because someone is small, doesn't mean they can't be deadly."

"You would know, Hetty," Deeks said as a crooked smile graced his face for the first time in days.

"I can see your humor is returning, Mr. Deeks," she smirked. "Just watch where you point those barbs you throw around, or I may have to have Ms. Blye punch you in the jaw again."

"Okay. Just as long as you don't send Nell after me with her gun," Deeks shot back with a grin. "You ladies really do scare me."


End file.
